NSS increases national service personnel allowance to GH¢715.57

Effective January 2023, prospective national service personnel allowance has been increased from GH¢559.04 to GH¢715.57, the management of the Ghana National Service (NSS) said in a statement shared with AcademicWeek.com.

“The management of the National Service Scheme has secured government approval for upward adjustment of monthly allowances for National Service Personnel from GH¢559.04 to GH¢715.57, with effect from January 2023,” it stated.

The National Scheme (NSS) in the press statement said the Controller and Accountant-General has been directed by the central government to give effect to new levels of the service personnel allowances.

“In effect, all National Service Personnel who are currently in active service are entitled to arrears for the difference in the upward adjustment from January 2023, and would be paid accordingly,” the management of NSS noted.

The approval of the national service personnel allowance according to the NSS was a result of a series of engagements between the National Service Scheme, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.

The national service personnel allowance increase comes after the Deputy Executive Director (General Services), Gifty Oware-Aboagye disclosed the central government has approved the increment of the national service allowance.

“We are planning to increase the allowance of the service personnel in the coming year because NSS personnel are paid through the government coffers, so maybe in the next coming year we could increase the allowance,” Gifty said.

The NSS official added “They are paid monthly allowances determined by the Finance Ministry. Payment is calculated from the date the personnel reports for duty at his/her designated post. The allowance is paid throughout the service year.”

Her comment comes after the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) following the country’s worsening economic crisis petitioned the government for national service allowance to be increased from the current GH¢559 to GH¢800.

Citing the rising cost of transportation and general expenses of prospective national service personnel, the leadership of the Students Union in an engagement with President Nana Akufo-Addo asked for an increase in the allowance.

“We also indicated the need to increase the national service allowance from GH¢559 to GH¢800, especially in the face of the rising cost of transportation and general expenses,” NUGS stated in a release copied to AcademicWeek.com.